Crankless engine



INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

May 26, 1925.

T. J. MGCAIN ET AL CRANKLESS ENGINE Filed Nov. 17, 1922 '5 sheets-sheet' 2 Wulfman Miam.

if a

n m n ATTORNEY WITNESS:

May 26, 1925. 1,539,752

T. J. MC' CAlN ET AL CRANKLESS ENGINE File-d NOV. 17. 1922 3 Sheets-S1166?, Z

INVENTOR WITNESS: ATTORNEY Patented May 26,1925.

yUNITED STAT-ES A1,539,152 PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. MCCAIN AND THURMAN WILSON, F FORT PIERCE,.FLORIDA.

cnANKLEss ENGINE,

Application med November 17, 1922. serial No. 601,631.

To all whomA t may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. MOCAIN and THURMAN WILSON, citizens of vthe United States, 'residing at Fort Pierce, in the county of Saint Lucie and State of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crankless Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This engine relates to engines and has for its object the provision of an engine in which the usual crank shaft is entirely eliminated, the engine consisting of a plurality of cylinders arranged in parallel relation and each having Operating therein opposed pistons which are connected with rings exerting a wedge action upon guide members arranged diagonally upon the V drive shaft, the engine being equipped with cam Operated valve mechanism driven by the drive shaft for controlling the inlet and exhaust of gas.

An important object is the provision of an engine of this character in which the oscillating rings engaging the guide members on the drive shaft are provided with anti-friction means. i

Another object is the provision of4 an engine of this character in which the Opposed relation of the pistons in the cylinders will operateto prevent vibration and insure smooth running combined with unusual power.

An additional object is the provision of an engine of this character which lwill `be comparatively simple and inexpensive r'in manufacture, eilicient and durable in service anda general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and :advantages in view the invention consists` in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is aside elevation,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section,

Figure 3 is a cross section taken through the valve -mechanism on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is :a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail viewsof an oscillating ring and guide member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings we have shown the engine as comprising a suitable base 1Q upon which is mounted a framell carrying three cylinders l2,

at the centers of the cylinders.

13 and 14 arrangedl in spaced parallel relation and all of similar construction. Operating within each cylinder are two pistons 15 arranged in opposed relation and having ball and socket connections ylo with connect-v ing rods 17 which extend beyond the ends of the cylinders. At each end of the engine the rods 17 have a ball. and socket connection 18 with an oscillating ring v19 which operates in conjunction with agrooved col-` lar like guide 20, bearing balls 21 being interposed betweenv these elements to per-4 vent friction. i,

Journaled longitudinally of the frame in suitable bearings 22 is the drive shaft 23 which is located atthe center of all of the cylinders and the guides 20 are rigidly secured upon this drive shaft 23 in diagonal relation thereto. It will be noted that these guides are reversed with respect to each l.

inlet and exhaust pipes 28 and 29 respectively communicating with the ports therethrough and leading to inlet and exhaust manifolds 30 and 31 respectively. Any

ysuitable carburetor structure, notl shown, is

associated with the' inlet manifold in case the engineis intended to bev of the internal combustion engine type and any suitable muffler, not shown, might be associated with the exhaust manifold in the same instance.

. If the engine is to be of the internal combustion type spark plugs 32 must be located Howe-ver, the engine might be operated by means of compressed air or steam, in which event any suitable source of Huid pressure would be connected with the inlet manifold 30 instead of av carburetor structure. l v The ports 25 and 26 are normally closed by inwardly opening inlet and exhaust valves 33 and 34, respectively, having stems 35 slidable through the valve chest and engaged by the free ends of rocker arms 36 pivoted at 37 upon supports 38 and en-` These chests are v .trated as being held in place by bolts 27.- The chests also have associated therewith aged by tappet rods 39. Pivoted on the rame at 40 are angle levers 41 which have one arm 42 engaging a ainst the associated tappet rods 39 and'which have theirl other ends formed with bearing portions 42 disposed in the path of travel of a plurality of cams 43 which are formed on a sleeve 44 rotatable on the drive4 shaft and carried by a ar 45.

opened at the proper time'to control the ing1 let of fuel and exhaust of burnt gases.

The entire engine is illustrated as bein Y surrounded by a housing 50 which is o1 tight and' which is provided at its ends with bearings 5l receiving the drive shaft and which is provided at various vpoints with bushings 52 through which the tappet rods 39 operate. Y

In the operation it will be Seen that on,

- the compression stroke in each cylinder thepistons move toward each other and upon reaching the inner llmit of their movement igpition of the explosive charge occurs, w

ereupon the pistons are forced outwardly..-

This action occurs in the successive -cylinders in the pro r order'and the eifect is to oscillate the ring members 19. As these ring members are rotatable with respect to the grooved collar ides which are secured upon the drive shaft, and as these guides are disposed diagonally of the drive shaft it is apparent that the force exerted by the pistons on the oscillatin rings 19 will exert a wed ing or inclined p ane action on the guides wichwill natura ly result in turning the drive shaft. It might be mentioned here that the drive shaft is referabl equipped with a. suitable iiy wieel 53 and7 connecting device 54 by meansy of which power maybe taken off or ,the connecting device might be a pulley. As the `drive shaft 'is turned bythe oscillatin movement of the rings 19 engaging the guides 20, the

. gear 46 drives the two gears 47 and 49 and the latter drives the gear which carries the cams 43. These cams are of peculiar vshape so as to move the angle levers 41 wvery quickly from'one position to'theother lso that through the instrumentality of the -push rods 39 and rocker arms 36 the inlet and burnt tures.

cylindersvand in which the construction is Y such that use of the ordinary crank shaft is --entirely eliminated. Owing to the fact that each cylinder is equipped. with two pistons movin oppositely therein vibration at one end o the en `ne will be count r-balanced by the vibration at the other end so that there will be no shock or jar and vibration will beconsequently eliminated. The en- 'ne' will thus be smooth running and it is obvious that it will develop a'n unusual degree of power.

s While we havel 4shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention it is of course to be understood that we reserve the right t0 malie such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of arts, as will not de art from 4the spirit ofpthe invention or e scope ofthe subjoined claim.

` Having thus described our mvention we' claim:l y

A n engine comprisinga plurality of cylinders, pistons operatin in said cylinders, a drive shaft, means or .transmitting power fromsaid piston to the drive shaft to rotate the latter, and valve controlled means associated with each cylinder to ef` fect inlet and permit exhaust of the fuel gases respectively thereto and therefrom, t e valve mechanism consisting of valve chests at the centers of the cylinders provided with inlet and exhaust ports, spring pressed valves normally closing said ports, rocker arms pivotally mounted and engaging the stems of said valves, tappets engaging said rocker arms, angle levers pivotcd adjacent the cylinders andv having one end engaging the tappets, a sleeve journaled on the drive shaft and engaging a series of cams cooperating with the other arms of the angle levers and formed upon a, gear, a counter shaft having a pinion meshing with said gear andfformed upon'a gear, and a gear secured upon the drive shaft and meshing with said last named gear.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signa- THONLAS J. MCCAIN. THURMAN WILSON. 

